COS baseball savors strong opening to season

By Bill Choybchoy@siskiyoudaily.com

Friday

Feb 23, 2018 at 4:11 PM

For the first time in a number of years, the College of the Siskiyous baseball team has a winning record heading into Golden Valley Conference play.The Eagles are currently 7-3, the second best record along GVC squads, after winning only nine games last year, and 10 games the year before.Weather dependent, COS is scheduled to open GVC play Saturday at home in Weed against Lassen at 2 p.m. This will be the first time COS has played at home this season. The two squads are scheduled for a doubleheader at COS Saturday starting at 11 a.m.This is the second full year Nick Thielman has been the head coach at COS after taking over halfway through the season back in 2016, after being an assistant coach for the Eagles.“This is a great group of players that have been working hard as a team,” Thielman said. “It’s been fun watching them develop and see all the work they have put into the season each day. It’s been special to see their hard work pay dividends.”Thielman, 28, came to COS from Eugene, Oregon, more than 10 years ago to play baseball for the Eagles, and went on to get his degree from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. While at SOU, he commuted to Weed to help coach the COS baseball team as an assistant.“This is a group of players that have truly bonded as a team and have done the necessary work since summer to make sure they would have a successful year in 2018,” Thielman said.“We’re not taking anything for granted,” Thielman said. “I just want them to go out together as a team and have fun.”He added that the sophomores have done an excellent job being mentors to the younger players, and have displayed a passion and dedication to the team and their fellow players that has been infectious.One player that has been a standout is sophomore Blaine DeMello from Hawaii, who currently has a batting average of more than .500.DeMello said it has been special for him and his fellow sophomores to see the team gel so well this season and have a winning record heading into conference play.“Everyone gets along and wants everyone to succeed,” he said. Royce Tashiro, a fellow sophomore from Hawaii, said it has been great to see how much the team has made strides from last season. He said he and his fellow players headed into the season determined to improve from last year's mark, and are enjoying seeing all their hard work pay off with early season wins.“We have all come together as a group,” Tashiro said. “We’re close as a team and support one another.”Thielman said that GVC play will be tough again this year, with the competition being top notch. But, he added, his coaches and players believe this is the season they will be competitive in the GVC and hopefully be near the top of the GVC standings at the end of the season – have a winning record – and earn a playoff berth.Thielman said it’s ”a dream come true” to be coaching at the school he played for.“I love being here and developing relationships with my players,” he said. “It’s been a dream job to be able to coach for the

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